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Sunday, March 24, 2013

DWM: backing, boats, bargains, and a finish

B is for backing.
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I finally pieced the backing for Orca Bay. The red check is cotton bedsheet. The blocks are leftovers. The blue fabric is vintage -- 36" wide. Doesn't it look like contemporary print? I finished the flimsy back in January, 2012. You can see it here . The subliminal message (I think) is that until I made the backing I could put off making the commitment to have it professionally quilted. I'll be calling Wendy (the long-armer) this week!
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Contemporary look, but vintage

When I piece a back I try to make it non-directional--note the placement of the two red/white prints on both side panels. B is for babies, and boys, and boats. I have quilts to make for two baby boys (one of whom has been born, the other of whom is due this summer). I thought that sailboats would be fun and I found a pattern in McCall's "America Makes Fast Quilts" (Autumn, 2009). I'm making the sails out of novelty fabrics (a decision made after the I made the test block, which is the one on the lower right).

And here is this week's finish! I made Diamond Stamps last May. I took it out of the box, pieced the backing, basted it, and got to work. I'm pleased with the freehand pumpkin seed design in the blocks. To my horror I discovered pleats in the back -- not bad, but pleats nonetheless, and surrounded by quilting that I did not want to rip out. Instead I washed the quilt in hot water and dried it in a hot dryer. The crinkles camouflage the pleats. Whew! The border quilting is "almost feathers," a design with which I'm getting proficient.
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Closeup of the quilting

No, that's not a pleat -- I folded the quilt to show the pieced back.

And B is for buying. I needed more light blue tone-on-tone for the sailboat sky and wanted a medium blue for the sea. I bought both at Joann's....and then found two beautiful lemon yellow-and gray prints that will make a great jacket to go with the new gray slacks I bought at the Boston Store.....Just 8 yards, total, and on sale -- bargains!

About Me

My blog comes "with strings attached" because I value the connections between and among people, organizations, and institutions. I'm a librarian and a quiltmaker who participates in local and national associations.